Deathlok

In a bleak near-future, a soldier named Luther Manning was killed in battle and secretly reanimated by a government program as a grotesque cyborg — half-rotting corpse, half war machine — designated Deathlok. Forced to serve as an unwilling weapon, Manning struggled to reclaim his lost humanity against the cold directives hardwired into his mechanical body.

Few characters capture the gritty, dystopian spirit of Marvel's Bronze Age quite like Deathlok, who crashed onto the scene in Astonishing Tales #25 in 1974, the creation of the visionary team of Rich Buckler and Doug Moench. A haunting figure born from that era's fascination with cybernetics, existential dread, and anti-heroism, Deathlok has endured across five decades of Marvel history — a remarkable testament to how deeply the concept resonated with readers. With three key collector issues to their name and adventures spanning Astonishing Tales, Deathlok, and Marvel Two-in-One, this is a character who has shared pages with some of Marvel's biggest icons, from Spider-Man and Captain America to the ever-lovin' Ben Grimm himself. If you're building a serious Bronze Age Marvel collection, Deathlok is absolutely essential reading.